Birds and Flowers 1534 - 1566

These hanging scrolls, Birds and Flowers, were painted with ink and color on silk by Kano Yukinobu. The scrolls offer a study in contrasts. The left scroll focuses on a vibrant foreground of detailed flora and fauna, while the right presents a more subdued, distant landscape. Yukinobu uses ink wash to create depth, with darker tones defining the immediate scenery and lighter washes suggesting atmospheric perspective. The composition invites us to consider the relationship between nearness and distance, reality and representation. These scrolls reflect broader artistic and philosophical concerns in Japanese art, engaging with ideas of nature, balance, and the transient beauty of the world. The formal structure of the diptych, encourages an exploration of space and perception, inviting viewers to find harmony in the interplay of contrasting elements. It demonstrates how art can destabilize fixed meanings and offer new ways of thinking about representation.